Here you can download some of the available information about the biodiversity of the Steyning Downland Scheme.
We are always looking for more biodiversity records to help us build up a picture of the ecology of the downland. Do please contact us – thank you!
The Steyning Downland includes two Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCIs), which are non-statutory nature conservation designations made by West Sussex County Council. You can download more information about our SNCIs here.
For an overview of the natural history survey information available up to 2011, please read the A Rocha summary report here.
Bats
Read the Sussex Bat Group 2012 survey report for the Rifle Range here (Adobe PDF document)
Bees
Download the bumblebee survey data collected by Sam Page from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2011 (Microsoft Excel documents):
Birds
View the summary bird survey data collected by the SDS Bird Survey Group. For more information contact Bob Platt:
List of all species recorded to end 2017 – sorted by total number of records made
Bob also produces a bird survey report which summarises the year’s survey:
Steyning Downland Scheme Bird Survey Report 2017
Steyning Downland Scheme Bird Survey Report 2018
Lists of species recorded during 2022
and a ‘summary of summaries’ synthesising all the records up to 2021 can be downloaded here.
Botany
View the botany survey data collected by the SDS botany surveyors. For more information contact Petra Billings
Two surveys of the Steyning Downland Scheme have been carried out by the expert botanists of the Sussex Botanical recording Society (SBRS). They have recorded 143 plant species in total. You can read SBRS chairman Nick Sturt’s report here.
Butterflies
View summary information for the butterfly transect data collected by the Dukes of Steyning Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Three transect routes were planned for us by butterfly expert, Neil Hulme and then walked regularly by 16 butterfly monitors who volunteered from the local community. You can download the maps for these below:
Results for 2015
Butterfly Monitoring Results for 2016
In autumn 2016 SDS volunteer, Jon Brook put together some graphs which summarise the butterfly records collected by the butterfly survey team while walking the survey transects. You can view these graphs below:
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Nymphalidae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Hesperiidae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Lycaenidae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Satyrinae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Pieridae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Nymphalidae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Hesperiidae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Lycaenidae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Satyrinae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Pieridae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Nymphalidae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Hesperiidae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Lycaenidae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Satyrinae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Pieridae
For more information, please contact Sarah Quantrill
Butterfly Monitoring Results for 2017
In autumn 2017, Jon Brook again collated graphs which summarise the butterfly records collected by the butterfly survey team while walking the survey transects. You can view these graphs below, with huge thanks to Roger Brown, John Woodward, Vanessa Hancock, Colin & Janet Holter, David Littlejohns, Rob Heels, Robin Bowers, David Buckett, Pete Varkala Sally Johnstone and everyone else who contributed:
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Nymphalidae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Hesperiidae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Lycaenidae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Satyrinae
Route SDD1 (Mouse Lane Entrance) – Pieridae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Nymphalidae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Hesperiidae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Lycaenidae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Satyrinae
Route SDD2 (Allotments Entrance) – Pieridae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Nymphalidae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Hesperiidae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Lycaenidae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Satyrinae
Route SDD3 (Bostal Road & Newham Lane Entrances – Park at Bostal Road Quarry) – Pieridae
Butterfly Monitoring Results for 2018
A summary report of the 2018 butterfly survey season can be read here. Please note the graphs in this report are quite small – please e-mail SDS@wistonestate.co.uk if you would like to download the graphs at full size.
Butterfly Monitoring Results for 2020
A summary report of the 2020 buttferfly survey season can be read here.
Butterfly Monitoring Results for 2021
A summary report of the 2021 buttferfly survey season can be read here.
Fungi
We are very grateful to Vivien Hodge for the following records:
Fungi recorded on the Steyning Downland Scheme during four autumn visits in 2016
Molluscs
Read excerpts from ‘Report on the Molluscs of the West Sussex Chalk Downs’ by Martin Willing (1993)
Moths
See the moth trap list collected by Jane Willmott after a night’s trapping in July 2015
There are many other groups of species which we aren’t monitoring at all – if you have a particular interest that isn’t covered here, or would like to get involved in an existing group, please do get in touch.
